Multiple parallel processor computer graphics system

Abstract

An accelerated graphics processing subsystem that significantly increases the processing speed of computer graphics commands. The preferred embodiment of this invention presents a first-of-its-kind graphics processing subsystem that combines the processing power of multiple, off-the-shelf, video cards, each one having one or more graphic processor units. The video cards can be used without substantial modification. Under the preferred embodiment, each video card processes instructions for drawing a predetermined portion of the screen which is displayed to the user through a monitor or other visual output device. The invention harnesses the power of multiple video cards without suffering from the high bandwidth constraints affecting prior attempts at parallel graphics processing subsystems.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to the processing of graphics instructions in computers. Specifically, the preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses an accelerated graphics processing subsystem for use in computers that utilizes multiple, off-the-shelf, video cards, each one having its own or multiple graphic processor units (“GPUs”), and assigns each video card to generate instructions for drawing a predetermined portion of the screen which is displayed to the user through a monitor or other visual output device. The video cards to be used in the disclosed invention need not be modified in any substantial way. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Even before the beginning of the widespread use of personal [0003] computers, computer graphics has been one of the most promising, and most challenging, aspects of computing. The first graphics personal computers developed for mass markets relied on the main computer processing unit (“CPU”) to control ever...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] It will be observed by those skilled in the art and through experimentation that by utilizing multiple video cards, each processing only a portion of the screen, that the total throughput of the graphics subsystem is increased in proportion to the number of video cards. The throughput increase, however, is not infinitely extendible as the GCR module introduces at least minimal amounts of processing overhead which also increases in proportion to the number of video cards.

[0029] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an accelerated graphics processing subsystem for use in computers that combines the processing power of multiple video cards, each one having one or more GPUs, and assigns each video card to process instructions for drawing a predetermined portion of the screen which is displayed to the user through a monitor or other visual output device. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a graphics processing subsystem capable of accelerating video graphics output by combining multiple, off-the-shelf video cards without substantial modification. It is yet another object of present invention to provide a graphics processing subsystem which does not require a high bandwidth connection between the video cards.

Problems solved by technology

Because all of the processing was conducted by the CPU, graphics-intensive applications had a tendency to over-utilize processing cycles and prevent the CPU from performing other duties.

This led to overall sluggishness and degraded system performance.

The primary drawback with early GPU-based video cards was that there was no set standard for the “language” of the various high level commands that the GPUs could interpret and then process.

This, of course, greatly slowed the development and adoption of new software.

One obvious and significant drawback with this system, which is also prevalent in the single-video card systems discussed below, is that a high bandwidth pipeline must exist between the two GPUs.

Any graphics subsystem must be able to support a variety of video formats, causing video refresh logic to become complicated.

In addition, none of the above devices describes a graphics processing subsystem capable of combining multiple, off-the-shelf video cards without substantial modification to the video cards.

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